Carpet and method of making same



Oct. 20, 1970 J. G. GAMBLE 3,535,192

CARPET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed April 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTGR. JAMES G. GAMBLE ATTORNEY Filed April 15, 1968 Oct. 20, 1970 JG. GAMBLE 3,535,192

CARPET AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 X 7 TO DRYING OVENFIG. 4.

INVENTOR- JAMES G. GAMBLE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,535,192 CARPETAND METHOD OF MAKING SAME James G. Gamble, Danielson, Conn., assignor toThe Hale Manufacturing Company, Putnam, Conn., a corporation of DelawareFiled Apr. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 721,259 Int. Cl. D05c 15/00 US. Cl. 161-667 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved lamina especially usefulfor structural support in a needled textile fabric is provided. Thelamina is composed of a woven scrim, preferably of leno-type weave,substantially embedded into a flexible film-forming substance bridgingthe interstices of the fabric and having dispersed throughout shortlength reinforcing fibers. When yarn is needled into the lamina, moresecured anchoring thereof is obtained with reduced permeability ofliquid through the lamina. This substance finds excellent use as aprimary backing in the construction of tufted textile products, such ascarpets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Needled textile fabrics have foundincreasingly wide acceptance by consumers. Such fabrics includeupholstery, blankets, and soft floor covering with the latter productbeing in greatest use; but all employ a structure supporting the pileyarn which may be of loop or cut construction.

The present invention will be described with particular reference totufted floor covering, i.e. carpets, although other needled fabrics arecontemplated. A tufted carpet normally is made of a composite'structurein which loops of yarn are sewed or needled into a base fabric called aprimary backing. A common substance used in constructing such backing isburlap, although Woven and non-woven fabrics of man-made fibers andfilaments have been suggested for use as a carpet backing material. Theloops of yarn projecting a short distance on the underside of thebacking are secured thereto in commercial operation by coating theunderside and loops with a suitable binder or adhesive. Latex rubberdispersions and the like have found widespread use for this purpose.Where the backing is loosely woven material, and economics obviouslyfavor the use of such material for primary carpet backing, the adhesivebeing in the nature of a liquid often penetrates the backing andmigrates to visible portions of the pile, thereby giving rise toundesirable product quality. The present invention provides a backingfor pile fabric such that the underside can be coated with aloop-locking adhesive with substantially no penetration of the adhesiveto the visible and normally used surface of the pile fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, a structural lamina for use in aneedled textile fabric, especially tufted carpets, is formed from awoven scrim fabric. A coating of a flexible film-forming substancebridges the interstices and embeds the scrim therein. Short lengthfibers are dispersed through the film-forming substance to reinforce thefilm-forming matrix. When yarn is needled into the structure, a moresecure anchoring of tufts is obtained and a barrier to the penetrationof liquid therethrough is provided. The scrim is preferably of a lenoweave and the film-forming substance is preferably latex rubber or otherelastomeric resin. Best results have been obtained when the scrim iswoven from continuous man-made thermoplastic filaments such as nylon,polyester and the like and when the Patented Oct. 20, 1970 short lengthreinforcing fibers are similar man-made fibers having lengths of about0.01 to 0.5 inch and a denier of 0.1 to 25 and composing about to weightpercent of the film substance.

The structure adapted for receiving tufts of yarn can be made byproviding a woven scrim fabric preferably of the leno weave type andapplying to the fabric a thin liquid coating of a film-forming substancehaving uniformly dispersed therethrough short length reinforcing fibersto bridge the spaces of the fabric with a thin film to substantiallyembed the fabric therein. Then, the liquid is solidified. The process ismost advantageously carried out in a continuous manner wherein thefabric is moved longitudinally and its film-forming substance iscontinuously applied by passing the fabric over a liquid applying roll,under a spray, or in other obviously equivalent ways. 1

The fabric is then continously heated to dry or solidify thefilm-forming substance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1there is shown a scrim fabric 1 partially embedded in a thin flat film2. Throughout the film short length reinforcing fibers 3 are dispersed.The fabric is constructed of a conventional leno Weave. Obviouslyvariations of the leno weave wherein more than one warp filamentcrossovers between the filling picks can also be used. As is well knownin the art, leno weave is a weaving process in which warp yarns arearranged in pairs. Two harnesses and two Warp sheets are required. Thewarp sheets form the ground threads and the doup threads. The fillingextends straight across the fabric as in a plain Weave, but the warpthreads are alternately twisted, crossing before each pick is inserted.This weave gives firmness and strength to an open weave cloth,minimizing slipping and displacements of the warp and filling yarns.

Wtih particular reference to FIG. 1, the warp yarns are denoted bynumerals 4 and 5 and may be single or plied. The warp yarns are woven inpairs. In like manner filling yarns 6 may be single or plied. As can benoted one of each pair of warp yarns always crosses over, on top of, thefilling yarn and the other always passes under the filling yarn with theresult that each filling yarn is locked between the two warp yarns.

The warp and filling yarns are made of thermoplastic man-made fibers andfilaments. Preferably the yarn is made of continuous filaments to gainthe benefits of the tenacity of filament yarn as compared to staplefiber yarns. The fibers and filaments can be composed of either linearcondensation polymer or linear addition polymers. Polyamides such aspolyhexamethylene adipamide (nylon- 66), polymeric 7-aminocaproic acid(nylon-6) and copolyamides thereof and polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate and copolyesters of suitable glycols and terephthalic andisophthalic acid are examples of suitable condensation polymers. Thefibers and filaments also can be made from acrylonitrile polymers andcopolymers thereof, polyethylene and ethylene copolymers, polypropyleneand copolymers thereof, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate, etc.

The thin film or sheet 2 can be any suitable film-forming substancewhich can be applied in liquid form to the fabric 1 with subsequenthardening into an impervious film. Preferably the film-forming materialis a conventional latex or other resinous binders including solutionsand dispersions thereof which can be applied to the leno weave fabricfollowed by drying and/or curing. Some useful compositions includepolyvinyl acetate, natural latex, butadiene-styrene copolymers andbutadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers. The film-forming substance shouldadhere well to the fabric. The film is applied in liquid form and may besolidified by curing or heated drying; or the substance may be selectedto be a thermosetting resin in which case it may be cured to a solidcondition by heat and/or catalyst. Other useable material includespolyvinyl chloride, polyurethanes, acrylates, butyl rubberethylene-propylene rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene,bis-polyisoprene, fluorocarbon rubbers, etc.

Before the thin film is formed and solidified, short length reinforcingfibers are prepared. They can be made by cutting, breaking, granulatingfibers or filaments of the type above described as composing the lenoweave fabric. The short fibers are blended intimately into thefilm-forming substance. The mixture is then applied to the woven fabricin a sufficient amount to assure bridging of the spaces between thewarps and filling yarns with a thin film.

The coated fabric is excellent for use in a tufted product such as acarpet. In FIG. 2 a single tuft of yarn 7 is shown as having beenneedled through the film 2 of resin reinforced with a fibrous substance.The warp and filling yarns are denoted by numerals 4 and 5, and 6,respectively.

FIG. 3 shows schematically a method for producing the articles of theinvention. A scrim 8 is forwarded from a source in a continuous mannerby rolls 10 and 11. The fabric passes over the film-forming substanceapplying surface of roll 12 which rotatably dips into the liquid 13 heldby container 14. The liquid preferably is a solution or dispersion ofrubber or the like. The fabri picks up a sufficient amount of the liquidand is then passed around rolls 15 and 16 which can be heated to cureand solidify the film-forming substance. The coated fabric is now readyto receive tufts of yarn.

When tufts of yarn are placed in the coated fabric, the rupture formedby the needle is filled with the yarn. The film is reinforced againsttear and the puncture of the tufting needle is clean-cut with the holetending to be self-closing. Hence, an almost complete barrier topermeation of liquid from the underside 17 of the fabric to the pileside is provided. Hence, when a heavy coating of adhesive material isapplied to the underside to firmly lock the underside protruding yarninto place, penetration thereof which would spoil the upper surface isprevented.

With reference now to FIG. 4, a scrim 18 is wetted prior to receivingthe adhesive coating. This is accomplished by passing the scrim throughbath 20 containing a suitable dilute sizing. From this bath the wettedscrim is squeezed between rolls 21 and 22 to remove excess sizing. Nextthe scrim is passed over the surface of roll 23 from which the film-formsubstance is applied to the scrim. Roll 23 rotatably dips into theliquid 24 held by container 25. The scrim picks up a sufficient amountof the fibers and coating material. Slurry pump 26 is employed toprevent sedimentation of the suspended fibers. A doctor blade 27 is usedto wipe any excess mixture from roll 23. The coated scrim is moved to atenter frame 28 to insure that the scrim is dried to proper size. Theframe consists of a pair of continuous traveling chains fitted with finepins (or clips) on horizontal tracks.

The fabric is held firmly at the selvages by the two chains and iscarried through a heated chamber (not shown) to dry the same.

The yarn used for tufting can be any of those normally used for thispurpose. Thus, for example, cotton,

rayon, wool, acrylic, nylon yarns or mixtures thereof can l be used.Preferably continuous filament nylon yarns having been textured andhaving a multilobal cross-section is preferred.

The following examples illustrate specific embodiments. A scrim twelvefeet is woven with a conventional leno weave and resin coated in anormal manner. The filling yarn is composed of 140 denier-68 filamentnylon continuous filament yarn. Each warp is composed of a 70 denier-34filament nylon yarn. There are 12 picks per inch in the scrim fabric.Nylon-66 staple length fibers are cut into flock averaging inch inlength. The flocks is intimately mixed in a butadiene-styrene latexcoating composition with a curing agent containing 65% solids by weight.The flock constitutes about 50% by weight of the ultimately solid curefilm. The mixture of short length fibers and latex composition is paddedon the scrim fabric. The coated fabric is then cured for 12 minutes at280 F., in a circulating hot air oven. Gear-crirnped nylon filament yarnhaving a denier of 3690 with 204 filaments composing the threadline istufted into the cured coated fabric to form a 26 ounce per square yardpile fabric.

A quantity of carpet backing latex compound with a conventional sulfurcuring system is poured on the underside of the tufted fabric anduniformly spread thereacross. This second latex coating is cured asabove and securely locked the tufts into the scrim. An examination ofthe resulting fabric reveals that 10 latex material had penetrated thescrim onto the pile face. The resulting product is dyed and molded tothe shape of a floorboard of an automobile.

In a second example a thin coating of a polyurethane resin having nylonflock as above described is applied to like scrim material and placed inan oven for a few minutes to cure. Nylon tufts of the same type justdescribed are placed in the coated scrim. Again it is observed that whenthe latex coating is applied to the bottom of the tufted product, thecoated scrim prevented migration thereof from the underside to the faceof the pile.

In a third example, not illustrative of the present invention, the samenylon scrim is heat-welded to a polyvinyl chloride sheet. Nylon yarntufts of the same type are placed in the laminated material. It isobserved that the sheet is torn by the tufting to the extent that whenthe latex coating is applied thereto, the latex migrates to the face ofthe pile, thereby giving rise to product nonuniformities.

There are numerous advantages of the present invention. An excellentbacking for a needled textile product is provided presenting a barrierto passage of liquid from one side thereof to another.

Improved needled products herein include furniture upholstery, blanketsand especially carpets. When carpets are made, a standard secondarybacking may be used in conjunction with the primary backing provided bythe fine-fiber containing film coating the leno weave scrim as hereindescribed. Other textile uses and advantages are readily apparent.

What is claimed is:

1. A carpet composed of:

(a) a woven scrim fabric;

(b) a film composed of short length fiber-reinforced latex bridging theinterstices of the fabric fiber and into which the fabric issubstantially embedded to form a composite structure; and

(c) a plurality of tufts of yarns needled into the composite structureof the said fabric and scrim; whereby locking of tuft loops is securedwith reduced permeability of liquid through the composite structure.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein the scrim fabric is woven fromcontinuous nylon filaments.

3. The product of claim 2 wherein the short length reinforcing fibersare nylon fibers having lengths of about 0.01 to 0.5 inch and a denierof 0.1 to 25 and composing about [5 to weight percent of the film.

4. The product of claim 3 wherein both the continuous filaments of thescrim fabric and the short length latex film reinforcing fibers are madeof nylon-66.

5. The product of claim 1 wherein the fabric is of leno weave.

6. A method for making a needled fabric comprising:

(a) providing a woven scrim fabric;

(b) applying to said fabric a liquid coating of a filmforming substancehaving dispersed therethrough short length reinforcing fibers to bridgethe interstices of the fabric with a thin film and to substantiallyembed the fabric therein;

(0) solidifying the liquid coating; and

(d) needling is a plurality of tufts into the composite structure.

7. A method for making a tufted textile product comprising:

(a) continuously moving a scrim fabric of leno weave from a source;

(b) continuously applying to said farbic a film forming substancecomposed of liquid latex having short length reinforcing fibersdispersed therethrough;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,928,356 9/1933 Haertcl 16194 XR 2,999,297 9/1961Schwartz 161-66 3,060,072 10/1962 Parlin et al. 16166 XR 3,227,5741/1966 Mohr 16166 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 664,635 6/ 1963 Canada.

ROBERT F. BURNETT, Primary Examiner R. H. CRISS, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

